Living with asthma often means being acutely aware of your breathing. While inhalers are essential, what if you could better support your respiratory system with a simple, powerful technique that you can integrate into your everyday life?
Rethinking How We Breathe
For many people
with asthma, breathing can feel like a conscious effort. During a flare-up, airways narrow, and the body often compensates with shallow, rapid breaths that originate from the chest and shoulders. This pattern is less efficient, requires more energy, and can even contribute to feelings of anxiety and breathlessness. Breathing exercises, however, can supplement medication by helping to retrain your breathing patterns, strengthen respiratory muscles, and improve your quality of life. The goal is to shift from inefficient chest breathing to a deeper, more effective method.
What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing, often called 'belly breathing', is a technique that engages your diaphragm, the large, dome-shaped muscle situated at the base of your lungs. While this muscle is designed to do about 80% of the work when we breathe, many of us fall into the habit of using secondary muscles in our neck, chest, and back. This exercise helps you consciously use your diaphragm to take deeper, more efficient breaths. By doing so, you can help strengthen the diaphragm, slow your breathing rate, and reduce the body's oxygen demand. It allows your lungs to operate at a fuller capacity, helping to rid them of stale air and take in more fresh oxygen.
A Simple Guide to Getting Started
Learning this technique is best done in a relaxed state. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, perhaps with a pillow for support. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly, just below your rib cage. Breathe in slowly through your nose, focusing on allowing your stomach to expand and push your hand up. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible. Then, exhale slowly through pursed lips (as if you're gently blowing out a candle), feeling your stomach muscles tighten and your hand lower. Aim to make your exhale about twice as long as your inhale. Start by practising for 5-10 minutes a few times a day to build muscle memory.
Integrating It Into Daily Movement
The real power of diaphragmatic breathing comes when it moves from a deliberate exercise to an automatic habit. Once you're comfortable with the basic technique, you can start integrating it into your daily activities. Focus on maintaining that slow, belly-led breathing while walking. Coordinate your breath with your steps, perhaps inhaling for two steps and exhaling for four. Use it when climbing stairs, doing household chores, or during the cool down phase after exercise. By practising during low intensity movement, you train your body to rely on this more efficient breathing pattern, which can help improve exercise tolerance and reduce breathlessness during physical activity.
Important Considerations and When to Be Cautious
While diaphragmatic breathing is a beneficial supplement to asthma management, it is not a replacement for prescribed medication. It's crucial to never use this technique to try and stop a severe asthma attack; always follow your doctor's emergency action plan and use your quick relief inhaler. When first starting, the exercise might feel tiring, which is normal as you're strengthening a muscle. If you have any concerns, or if your asthma is not well controlled, speak with your doctor or a respiratory therapist. They can confirm you are doing the technique correctly and help you safely incorporate it into your management plan.
